Imagine that you have finally made the decision that collaborative work will form a key part of your business IT. The funding has been obtained and the staff members are in place to start the project. You are then faced with a mammoth purchasing decision when deciding what software package to use in your structure.

This article is not long enough to allow for all the things that can go wrong and all the things that should go right. Rather it provides a simple guide to some of the things that might be reasonably considered as part of the purchasing decision. You should remember that you would normally be held accountable for this decision over the whole life of the package until it is disbanded or upgraded.

It would be expected that the normal company protocols for commissioning goods or services are followed and that you would make extra adjustments for the unique nature of business IT. First of all IT is not a tangible commodity. Rather it is a set of advanced formulas and instructions that are able to convert your dreams into practical actions. It is a branded item that may have a limited shelf life. It can also be replaced by more advanced versions even before you have the chance to use your initial purchase.

Remember that it is in order to improve your internal or external communication that you decided to include the collaborative software in your business IT mix. The people who manage this communication are your employees. It therefore makes sense for you to consult with them extensively before buying a particular brand. The least they can do is express the actions and limitations of what they want. Of course you might encounter some resistance to change or even outright cynicism but this should not prevent you from consulting. The reaction will be much worse if you fail to consult than if you consulted and they failed to react.

The roles of consultants can be very useful in this situation because they will have some greater understanding of the market conditions in general and will be able to give you advice as to what you can reasonably buy and at what cost. The fees for hiring a consultant may appear to be an unnecessary extravagance but the time and money they save you will make it worthwhile. Do not repeat the mistakes of your competitors or allies. If you know of an organization that has recently bought collaborative software, you should make a friendly approach to the so that they can share experiences.

It is also important to be very clear about what you want from your business IT system. This is so for the simple reasons that you will have to communicate those objectives to the software company on a regular basis and it will form the basis of the management of the IT service contract. If you are not clear about what you want, other people will make the decision for you and the results may not be to your liking.